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One of the candidates being considered for director of education in York Region recently faced tough questions after sending a directive saying the Northern Ontario board she runs would refuse to deal with parents’ concerns if they went to the media first.

Jackie Young, who is currently head of the Near North District School Board, received a rebuke from Minister of Education Mitzie Hunter before backtracking on her missive.

“It’s very important that our school boards and our education system respond to parents and members of the community that have a question — that’s certainly an expectation that I would have,” Hunter told the Star when asked about a North Bay Nugget newspaper report from September that Young had sent an email saying parents needed to follow proper processes or the board wouldn’t help them.

“Transparency and accountability are really fundamental to our system of education in Ontario, so my expectation of that board is that they look at this and really address any concerns of accessibility and making sure they are open and engaging to parents and to the community,” Hunter said at the time.

Whether parents have spoken to a reporter “should have no bearing on their ability to engage with the board, and I will make that clear (to the board),” Hunter said.

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Young later sent out a clarification letter to families, requesting they first approach their school, but saying the North Bay-area board would respond to all complaints.

In response to questions from the Star, Young referred to the clarification and reiterated that the Northern Ontario board always does its best to address parents’ concerns.

In recent weeks, York Region District School Board trustees have been involved in the process of hiring a director, which they need to do by the end of the year. Sources say Young is one of five candidates shortlisted for the position, which became vacant when J. Philip Parappally was dismissed amid a scathing report on the board conducted by two provincial reviewers.

In the interim, Kathi Wallace, a retired Simcoe County director, has been at the helm, although she will step down at the end of this month.

Board chair Loralea Carruthers said she could not comment on the confidential selection process.

After a tumultuous year, the board has been hoping to start afresh. Sources told the Star that the board’s director shortlist also includes:

Curtis Ennis, a superintendent at the Toronto public board who oversees the Africentric Alternative School;

Louise Sirisko, a special education expert who works in the Education Ministry;

Those who know Young — a former senior staffer at the York Region District School Board — say her email sent to and reported on by the local newspaper was a misstep. She is known at the sprawling northern board as a leader who will drive long distances to families’ homes if need be to fix problems.

She was appointed to the Near North early in 2015.

Her email raises questions for the York board, which has come under heavy criticism for not responding to parents’ complaints in the past — especially on incidents of racism and transparency. The Education Ministry sent in two reviewers, who reported on a number of failings in York.

Hunter — who called issues at the board “severe” — then issued 22 orders to staff and trustees, including a directive to “rebuild trust” and better engage with parents and the community, as well as overhaul the director selection process.

York Region parent Todd Silverman, who has been critical of the board in the past, knew Young as a superintendent when she was in charge of his children’s school.

“My wife and I always found her professional, caring and courteous,” he said. “She listened to our concerns and acted immediately to rectify the issues we brought forward. She had a very calming demeanour when things around her were chaotic.”

He characterized Young’s email regarding board dealings with North Bay parents as “unfortunate” and said she rectified the situation.

Reached by email, Young said “I am unclear as to how you came to hear about applicants for the director position in York. It would be inappropriate for me to comment on York’s hiring process.”

In the days following the Nugget story, the Star contacted Young, who replied via email, saying: “Thank you for reaching out to me. Our board has and will always do our very best to respond to parent concerns. For clarification purposes, please see my letter to the Near North DSB parents and guardians to assure them there was not a policy change.”

Young also sent a copy to the Ministry of Education “clarifying matters,” she said. “I trust this will alleviate the minister’s concerns.”

Her letter to parents said the board is “happy to respond to any situation and should be able to speak to anything that comes to me, but in trying to be fair to all staff we are hoping that parents ask the questions of our staff first so that we may respond at the local level with clarity of intent and context. We will make mistakes and missteps and will continue to learn and grow from them. Your input and feedback is invaluable.

“Despite what may be reported, I believe we should be held accountable and when and if we do not respond in a timely fashion we should indeed be taken to task. You should be able to demand that of us as a public institution that services you and your children.”

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